They formed an unlikely friendship in 2010, when Simon Cowell became patron of Katie Piper’s charity, The Katie Piper Foundation. And the pair are such good pals that Simon’s 17-month-old-son, Eric, and Katie’s daughter, Belle, 16 months, have even shared their first 'date'.
Katie, 31- an ambassador for Remescar, a range of medicated skin care products that she uses on a daily basis to treat scarring- says: “Our children were born a month apart, so it’s quite sweet. I’ve met Simon’s girlfriend, Lauren, and Eric a few times – and Eric and Belle have had a play date. They were quite young, so they lay there gurgling together. When she’s older, I’ll have to tell her she went on a ‘date’ with him!”
Despite her celeb connections, Katie prefers a low-key life with her carpenter fiancé James Sutton, who she met in 2012.
She says: “We do lots as a family. Belle’s a real bruiser and she’s very sociable. We take her to music classes and baby sensory sessions and we recently went to a festival. When Sinitta came on the stage she was dancing! Years ago, I didn’t think I’d even have a child, so I’m incredibly lucky.”
Katie Piper is the new ambassador for Remescar skin care products
For the full interview, get this week's Closer – out now!